Although many in the combat sports fraternity is highly awaiting for the former six-division boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya’s professional comeback, Dana White is not one of them and the UFC prez hopes that his former Light Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort knocks out ‘crackhead’ De La Hoya.
The fight, which was originally slated to be an exhibition bout as part of the Triller event, was confirmed to be an actual sanctioned boxing match by Triller Fight Club themselves last month, and instead of Las Vegas, the bout will now be heading for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
A former WBC, WBO, and IBF titleholder during his prime, De La Hoya was last seen inside the squared circle was on 6th December 2008 when he lost to Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Now, after more than a decade away from the ring, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions is coming out of retirement to don the sparring gloves once again and while many expected De La Hoya’s comeback as an exhibition fight, his return means the 48-year-old is breaking his over a decade long hiatus as a pro.
Meanwhile, it’s also a return to pro boxing for Vitor Belfort, the former UFC light heavyweight champion who donned the sparring gloves all the way back in 2006, which remains the only pro boxing appearance for the Brazilian.
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Dana White rooting for Belfort against ‘dirtbag’ De La Hoya
However, Belfort’s former boss Dana White makes his stance in the fight crystal clear. Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show”, the UFC president said that he is rooting for Belfort over De La Hoya, with whom he has had feuds in the past.
“I’m praying Vitor knocks this crackhead out – and viciously, viciously knocks him out,” White said in the podcast.
“As much as I can’t stand that dirtbag, De La Hoya is legit,” the 52-year-old went on, “back in the day when me and De La Hoya were cool, I actually was up in his camp. Just his jab could knock people out. De La Hoya in his prime was the real deal. This is a real fight between two real guys. I think that Vitor obviously has the power to KO him, but De La Hoya’s no joke, either.”
“Hopefully all the coke-sniffing and tequila drinking and whatever other sh*t that guy has been up to has caught up with him, and Vitor lays one right on the big mouth of his and knocks him unconscious,” White added. (H/T MMAJunkie)
